The city of Sochi is technically 147 km (92 mi) long, but the port, best
beaches and grooviest facilities are contained within the 12 km (7.5 mi) of
Sochi proper. The city, at the heart of the 'Russian Riviera', is an oddity in
many different ways. Oddest of all is that a city famous as a summer playground
for the Russian elite should be hosting the Winter Olympics of 2014. Politics
aside, there are good geographical and historical reasons why Sochi has reached
this pinnacle of resort aspiration. Because it faces south, with the Caucasus
Mountains rising immediately behind, it benefits from a microclimate that, in
turn, has for a hundred years attracted interest from the most powerful people
in Russia.

Russia's leaders, before and since the Revolution, invested heavily in
the area, building homes for themselves, and ensuring that public funds
maintained the quality of the city's facilities for all comers. Simultaneously,
heavy industry was not allowed to infect the region, and even the international
freight terminals are segregated. Visitors arriving by cruise liner are brought
ashore at a quay full of sleek, ocean-going private yachts, moored in front of
a series of cafes and restaurants whose colourful umbrellas and toned clientele
have more in common with St Tropez than Stalin might have wished. The terminal
building itself looks like a classical church, complete with steeple and spire
- a very Russian touch. Aside from the winter sports available an hour away,
Sochi's tree-lined avenues are full of wooded parks, good museums and
galleries, and a non-stop, ubiquitous, cafe and club-culture to amuse visitors
drawn to a year-round sequence of festivals - of fashion, music, art, and
anything quirky that might come along. There are 250 spas in the area, 30
botanical gardens of real interest, and the Russian National Wildlife Sanctuary
and Caucasian Biosphere Reserve up the road are within the (teclmical) city
limits. Sochi boasts that it can keep anyone amused, anytime, and it's true.Hotels in Sochi

Destined to be known forever as the first city to be attacked with an
atomic bomb, Hiroshima has rebuilt itself as a modern, vibrant city: withtin
ten years of the end of World War II, the population had reached pre-war levels
again. The city had been important during the Shogun, Edo and Meiji periods,
and the rebuilt castle has a museum dedicated to life during the Edo period,
while the Hiroshima Museum of Art has one of the best collections of French
Renaissance art in Asia. The beautiful gardens of Shukkei-en are not far from
Ground Zero, and highlights include the Rainbow Bridge and the tranquil pond.
Mitaki-dera is a beautiful shrine set within grounds that include three
waterfalls whose waters are used during the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Ceremony. The Tahoto Pagoda was brought from Hirogawa in 1951 as a memorial to
the victims of the bombing.

The contents of the Peace Memorial Museum are harrowing, as is the Peace
Memorial (also known as the A-Bomb Dome), the remains of the former
Prefecturallndustrial Promotional Hall which is thought to have been directly
under the blast. The park also has a memorial dedicated to the children who
died, the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims and the Hiroshima National Peace
Memorial Hall. Elsewhere, Hijiyama-koen is a large park with both manicured
gardens as well as some forest areas. The Manga Museum and the Museum of Contemporary
Art are within its boundaries. While it is impossible to forget the tragic
events of 1945, Hiroshima's people have rebuilt their city and their lives and
created a welcoming, modern city unique in Japan, famed for the quality of its
restaurants, offering a wide variety of cuisines. Miyajima Island is a
beautiful island home to the Tahoto Pagoda. Don't miss the Peace Memorial Park
and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.Hotels in Hiroshima